South Park National Heritage Area, Colorado

In the center of Colorado the story of the west has been preserved, much as the settlers found it. A true highlight is an open-air museum with 34 buildings.

By Staff
, Mar 31, 2017

Living History Days at South Park National Heritage Area. Courtesy photo

A Different South Park

While Comedy Central 's South Park series drew national attention to a relatively unknown corner of Colorado, the area is vastly different than it appears on the show.

Located in a 900-square-mile, 10,000-foot-high grassland surrounded by peaks, the South Park National Heritage Area embodies the rugged, Old West that has ignited travelers imaginations for more than 300 years.

Find this overlooked gem strung together by the towns of Fairplay, Como, Alma, Hartsel, Guffey, Grant and Bailey just an hour and half from Denver. A true highlight is South Park City Museum, an open-air museum with 34 authentic historic buildings and 60,000 artifacts from South Park’s gold and silver boom days. It’s located on Front Street's west end in Fairplay.

Get your National Park Service passport stamped at the South Park Ranger District office in Fairplay.